Daniel's Pacific NW Garden

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Sauerkraut Day 2. 12.22.13

It's been a day and a half after mixing up the sauerkraut. The bubbler is putting out about a bubble a minute. The airlock has pushed all of the water to the exit side. Much faster than the first batch.

The second jar is also bubbling. Has not spilled over yet.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Winter Solstice Gardening. 12.21.13

It was a nice day. 40s and 50s, sunny. I slept very late. Needed to, Ive been sick.

Today I did some kitchen garden chores....

Added one wheelbarrow of mole-hill soil to the last raised bed. It's about 1/3 to 1/2 full now. Covered half of that with leaf compost which after other chores was all I had left.

Added 2 wheelbarrows of 50:50 mole-hill soil:leaf compost mix, to the original first raised bed built late summer 2012. It had settled several inches. Covered with a couple of inches of leaf compost. At one end is a 6 inch wide row of chinese chives. I covered those with compost too.

Cleaned up the 2nd bed from last year. It has grown garlic, onions, and Chinese chives at one end. Then pole beans last summer. I raked out the weeds and largest pieces of straw mulch, filled in some low spots, then covered the rest, including degrading straw mulch, with a couple inches leaf compost. This bed also has a 6 inch wide row of Chinese chives at one end, which I covered with an inch of compost. Those are fully dormant, not at all visible exceot a few drued flower stalks. No tilling, not needed and causes loss of soil structure and organic matter. Now that bed is ready for next Spring.

Planted 3 rows of Egyptian Walking Onion sets I found in the garage. They were pretty dried out but look viable. Those went into a raised bed that has a low tunnel row cover for protection. It is an unusual time to plant but the soil was soft and easy to plant in - raised beds are wonderful.

Found a plum seedling and a ginkgo seedling in that last raised bed. I remember planting those seeds fall 2012. moved to where I have other tree seedlings heeled in until I figure out where to plant them.

Using the ipad photo blog function for the first time. Here is my fire. Off to shower and rest. It sounds like I did a lit but none of these chores was difficult. The ground was soft, the compost was dry and light, the weeds pulled wth almost no effort.

Orchids. 12.21.13

Cymbidium hybrid

Oncidium hybrid

Some of the orchids are blooming nicely. This is a great thing to have on the gloomy winter days.

Today is Solstice, the day when the Northern Hemisphere starts facing the sun again, bathing us in the star's radiation. Longer days will follow, then warmer and ultimately Spring will come.

Meanwhile, it's nice to have some flowers blooming in my room.

Each plant summered outside with minimal attention. They are so beautiful, this year I should give them some TLC. They are all several years old. So that means I can grow orchids. Cool.

Sauerkraut. 12.21.13

Making Sauerkraut

It's not gardening outside. But making sauerkraut is a way to grow something - lactic acid bacteria ferment the cabbage and juices to make the sauerkraut.

These are 5 pounds of organic cabbage, finely sliced with 3 tablespoons of coarse seasalt. Pounded a bit in a big bowl, packed firmly in the jars. The airlock was via the internet. I think it's not necessary, having read about other ways to seal the fermenting concoction. So the other jar has a plastic bag filled with water to seal the top. I placed in on a plate in case there is overflow.

I miked in a few spoons of kraut and a few spoons of liquid from the last batch, to jump-start the fermentation.

Now it sits for a few days or few weeks in a cool place.

If I can protect them from cabbage worms, rabbits, slugs, and deer, I want to grow cabbages and use my own to make sauerkraut, next year.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Arbor Day Foundation Trees. 12.19.13

Crepe Myrtle

White Dogwood

File:Chinese Rain Trees in Lin Sen Park 20101114.jpg

Golden Rain Tree

Eastern Redbud

Last summer I joined the Arbor Day Foundation. As a bonus, they sent a tree package, which arrived yesterday.

The package contained 6 to 12 inch seedlings of: Eastern Redbud, Golden Rain Tree, Crepe Myrtle, and White Dogwood.

I heeled them in, in the vegetable bed, pending actual planting.

These were all 6 inches to a foot. We will plant them along the edges of the property. Given the small size, they will be movable for a few years if we don't like those locations.

(All images source: Commons.wikimedia.org)

Soil sample sent off for testing. 12.19.13

I sent the soil sample to "Simply Soil Testing". Since the raised beds are collected from mole hills, I went around the yard collecting soil from multiple mole hills, let it dry for a couple of weeks indoors, then packed in zip-lock bag. Tues I went to the post office and mailed the sample.

WA State extension doesn't test soil for gardeners, so I went with this commercial firm.

This is their instruction:

How to Test Your Soil

1. Print out the Soil Submission Form

2. Collect soil samples from the areas to be tested. Follow the simple recommendations in our Sampling Guide to obtain soil samples that are truly representative of your soil.

3. Choose a soil test option (see table below).

4. Fill out the submission form and send it together with your soil samples and a check to the address listed on the form.

Now it's just a matter of waiting a week or two for the results.

Testing for organic content, pH, phosphorus, potassium, and major and trace minerals. They don't test for nitrogen, which varies too much.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Honeybee order for 2014.

Today had to call in sick. Don't like doing that but miserable. Just on line a few minutes then back to bed.

image source: vintageprintable.com

Checked beehive yesterday. Happy to see bees still there and healthy looking. Just pulled one bar, briefly and partially, to check. They started flying out instantly. So closed again.

I have foam and newspapers in the roof of the beehive to help with warmth. Only one of the 3 openings is open.

Went online to check varieties to order for beehive #2. The main choices are Italian and Carniolan.

Reading up (also here) on advantages and disadvantages of the subspecies - Italian honeybees are gentle, forage widely, less likely to swarm. Numbers are slower to build up. Resistance to disease and mites might be an issue. The queen has a light golden color that is easy to see.

Carniolans build up populations quicker but swarm more quickly too. They may be more disease resistant than Italian bees. The darker queen is more difficult to see.

Image source: Vintageprintable.com

I decided to go with Italian bees again. The deciding issues were swarm tendency. I still don't know why my numbers dropped so much late fall, but I wonder about swarming.

Disease resistance and cold tolerance would be major reasons to go for Carniolan bees. I am still thinking about them for future hives.

So I reserved a box of Italian honeybees. They arrive in April so it's a long way away. I like to plan ahead.

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Buddleias after the freeze

Buddleia globosa

Buddleia hybrids, Peach Cobbler and Blueberry Cobbler

Buddleias are partially hardy. I've read in cold winter climates, the tops are killed. They grow back rapidly from the roots, so act as perennials.

Here they are usually a large woody shrub.

I wondered with the big freeze, whether they would die to the ground.

Most of the large summer leaves were frost damaged. Many were shed. The smaller, axillary bud leaves still look OK.

I don't know if the complex hybrids have been tested in such a cold winter. It will be interesting to see what they do.

Similar for Buddleia globosa.

Fig trees after the freeze.

Brunswick fig after the freeze

After the freeze to 8°F or 9°F, depending on what site you believe, I wanted to to a welfare check on the fig trees. It would not surprise me if all of the buds were frozen and twigs dessicated.

Hard to say, but so far, so good. Many of the terminal buds are frozen and dessicated, but lateral buds seem less affected.

Brunswick, so far, looks good. I don't see any chewing damage, either. On this or the other trees.

Champagne is a hybrid of Celeste, which is considered cold tolerant, and an unknown variety. Developed at Louisiana State University. Again the terminal buds look dessicated.

Champagne fig

Give the rapid growth, it would not surprise me if this tree was unprepared for winter. First year trees are often the most affected. But so far, it looks OK.

Similar situation for Atreano. Atreano is more well established for Pacific NW. But again, this tree grew rapidly and the growth was not hardened off before winter.

Carini is completely untested for Pacific NW, being a family heirloom variety from Pennsylvania / New Jersey. Those states get some cold. Growth for Carini was not as rank as Champagne and Atreano, so it may be better lignified. Looking OK, there are still lateral buds.

Smith, a Louisiana bayou heritage variety, is also untested in the NW. One site speculated Smith was brought to the US from Yugoslavian immigrants, centuries ago. So it may have more cold hardiness than one would guess. Also grew rapidly, maybe a little better lignified than the two in the former chicken yard (Champagne, Atgeano) . The twigs are an interesting light brown.

Atreano fig

LSU Tiger, similar to Champagne in origin, and also untested here. Also, with growth not as rank as the former chicken yard trees. South of the house - as are Carini, Sal's, Smith, Petite negri - so maybe a degree warmer.

Carini Sicilian fig

Smith Louisiana fig

Sal's fig has come through winters here in adverse conditions - in cotainers, frozen solid. It should be more established now. I have it wrapped for rodent protection, and sprayed with hot pepper wax - as with all of the other trees. It looks OK. Next year I want to train Sal's into a more vertical, less bushy shape. Easier to manage.